Insanity
by Nerevaire
Summary: This is unbelievable. Why did I even bother following him?
1. Intro

**A/N: Yes, the summary is a bit vague – they've never really been one of my strong points, but well, I'll alter it as the storyline develops. Now, to avoid any confusion; each chapter begins with a diary extract from Sasuke. Some relate back to the story and others are just rants and general space fillers.**

**_In regards to any pairings: Hmm…_**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**_Diary Entry 1_**

**_Isn't it weird? How things just carry on as normal - seemingly unaffected by what has taken place in the past? I've only been back for a few months, and already they've placed me back within team seven, and quite casually given out missions, without asking any questions. They're ever-so trusting…_**

**_How strange it will be working alongside those guys again – and gah, alongside that moron! I highly doubt he's matured much after my absence, not a chance. The other two have certainly changed; Sakura in particular… she's almost a different person – strong, focused – it's almost unbelievable. Kakashi-sensei has grown much darker and far more serious it seems. He's not the cheery, laid-back guy I remember… something must have happened. I'm curious, very curious and quite tempted to question him, though in my current position I guess it might be a bad idea to push my luck. Sigh._**

**_Ah well._**

**_I wonder if that idiot's changed at all… maybe he'll prove me wrong._**

* * *

"This is your fault."

Sasuke heaved a sigh of frustration, glancing around unfamiliar surroundings. Only a few moments ago the group had been together; on their way back to Konaha, with their mission far behind and forgotten. Everything had been running nice and smoothly until a certain spiky-haired blond had sworn he heard a rustling from the bushes. Surely enough, he'd decided to go off and investigate, leaving his fellow team-members behind without a word. Kakashi-sensei had quickly ordered Sasuke to go after him, while Sakura patched up his bandages from the previous mission. Much to his disapproval, Sasuke had not been given a choice in the matter and so he began his search reluctantly, muttering obscenities as he picked up the aforementioned boy's trail. Within seconds he'd spotted a figure, clad in his renowned orange jump-suit. Venturing closer, Sasuke had noticed the silent stillness of his team-mate, who remained in his frozen position beneath the cover of several wind-swept pine trees. Somewhat puzzled by the other boy's behaviour, Sasuke had approached cautiously, wondering if he had fallen victim to another one of Naruto's irritating tricks.

"Follow me." Naruto had responded simply, upon hearing his name. He moved swiftly into the shroud of pine, forcing Sasuke to obliviously follow once more. After much dashing, jumping and dodging of the odd tree, Naruto finally came to an abrupt halt in the centre of a dimly-lit clearing. There hadn't been anything remarkable about the place – nothing that seemed out of the ordinary however, Naruto pivoted on the spot anxiously, as if rooted down by an unseen foe.

"Well?" Sasuke had asked, already growing increasingly impatient. It had to be a joke; there was no doubt about that. He'd put a lot of effort into to this one, Sasuke thought half-frowning. Heck, he'd even believed the idiot for a few moments back there. "Hn, just as I thought."

"Wait, Sasuke." Naruto gasped, assuming a crouched position and putting his head to the ground in anticipation.

"This has gone far enough, idiot." Sasuke replied sceptically. "How about you run around like a headless chicken once we get back instead, hn?"

"No, really, Sasuke – wait."

"I'm heading back – don't keep us all waiting." He'd turned around promptly, in disbelieving despair, giving the concentrated Naruto a final glance, hoping the crazed boy may see sense. Unfortunately he was ignored; as Naruto was far too caught up in his new and highly fascinating hobby - dirt-listening!

* * *

"What a waste of time." Sasuke muttered, attempting to retrace his tracks. The first few steps back had been easy; he'd remembered the various patterns of trees and foliage distinctively, but as it grew darker and the forest appeared to become slightly misty, he found himself a little disorientated. He leant against a nearby tree in contemplation, collecting his thoughts and trying to remember the way back. While deep in thought, Sasuke hardly noticed the sudden beam of light, radiating brightly over the seemingly deserted pine forest. Without warning, the ground below began to shudder quite violently, causing Sasuke to lose his balance and hit the ground with loud, ungraceful thud. The blinding light soon enveloped the forest, pulsating magnificently through the spindly branches of each pine. Half-dazed from his fall, Sasuke watched in awe as all around him was bathed in a pearly-white velvet – it was chillingly mesmerizing. At that very moment, he'd stumbled to his feet almost clumsily, dumbfounded in bewilderment. A voice called from within the vale of luminous haze, which sounded rather familiar.

"Sasuke!"

Such a familiar voice, yet he couldn't place a name to it. The voice continued to call his name in a desperate manner, occasionally shouting a few distorted words afterwards. Sasuke listened intently, trying to catch each of the blurred words as he staggered in the direction of the calls. He became somewhat apprehensive travelling closer to the voice; the mist now impossibly dense, fogging his vision and slowing him down. A trap? He wondered, gingerly treading through unfurling wisps, which were gradually tangling themselves affectionately around his body. It was likely to be. Assuming a more guarded position, Sasuke strode on relentlessly, ignoring the raging protests from his throbbing head – his last bump had clearly upset it. Despite the pain, he refused to stop; pushing on through the smoke, seeking out the source of the mysterious voice.

"Ow!"

Caught off guard once more, Sasuke comfortingly rubbed his pounding head, evidently sick of being knocked-around. Rippling waves greeted his vision and he had to blink several times before seeing clearly.

"Aah, found you!"

Sasuke found himself scowling in annoyance, as a foolish, idiotic face smiled happily into focus. Tightening his shoulders and gritting his teeth, he snarled angrily:

"Oh, it's you."

* * *

**A/N: And onto chapter one, which should be up in a few days. Reviews make me write faster!**


	2. Chapter 1

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**_Entry 2_**

**_This is unbelievable._**

**_Why did I even bother following him? I should have dragged him back when I had the chance! Grr… this is the last time! He's still denying that all this is one of his lame jokes, and that he hadn't intended to get us both lost. Well, I suppose the second part may stand a chance of being true – after his 'wondrous discovery' he spent the best part of the night running around the forest in crazed panic. It was actually quite amusing, until he dragged me into it – big mistake. I wasn't in the mood for anymore games, and so ignoring him, I sought out the nearest form of shelter, which happened to be small formation of rocks – classy, eh? It's decent enough; there's plenty of room and it seems quite sturdy. I wonder if idiot's managed to find himself a place for the night. Heh, not likely – he's probably still out there, looking for a way back. His efforts are respectable, but really, in the dark? Could he get anymore dumb? Maybe I should go look for him…_**

* * *

As his head finally returned to normal from the selection of bumps, thumps and collisions it had encountered during the day, Sasuke sat around his campfire, gratefully absorbing the warmth of the crackling flames. The forest had quickly grown dark soon after he'd discovered they were both lost, and he'd started the fire in hope of maintaining some source of heat and light. A starless night loomed above the lake of pine, the full moon seemingly lonesome without its chorus of shining stars.

Sasuke stared, captivated by the rare sight. He listened intently to the sounds of restless forest; its unseen occupants still wandering out late, adding to the symphony of creaking wood and shifting earth. It was all very relaxing, and had almost succeeded in calming the aggravated boy down; however the sudden bout of ferocious roars echoing from within his empty stomach soon brought him back to reality.

"I swear I saw something!"

He clenched his fists, remembering the words of his foolish team-mate, and as his knuckles turned increasingly white, he pictured the blond boy's overly excited and shocked expression.

"A load of bullshit" Sasuke had replied, restraining himself from attacking the other boy. "Now - find the way back!"

Naruto had obviously taken his words too seriously, as he'd been out searching in the pine-covered labyrinth for several hours.

"Probably got lost again…" Sasuke muttered to himself, lazily watching the fiery wisps waltz through one another. He'll be back soon enough, he thought remembering the idiotic blonds' knack for getting out of problems. Despite this, he still debated going looking for him, though he kept reassuring himself that his search would be for duty's sake rather than out of concern for his fellow team-mate.

Exasperated by his own indecisiveness, Sasuke rose to his feet wearily, immediately regretting his decision. He was abandoning the comforting warmth and safety of his make-shift camp area for a moronic loud-mouth, who hadn't a shred of common sense. Nothing made sense in his head, and he had trouble finding any possible benefits he might stumble across by locating Naruto. Surely he'd gnaw viciously on Sasuke's already delicate rope of sanity, by coming out with his usual mindless remarks and irritating tendencies.

Sasuke shuddered at the mental image, finding his old place around the campfire suddenly very tempting once more. He resisted, much to his surprise, retrieving a large branch from beneath the constraints of its muddy prison, and lighting it gently in his abandoned camp-fire. Before the urge to smack his head repetitively against the nearest tree became too strong, Sasuke swiftly strode out into the black abyss, with only the faint light of his torch to guide him

* * *

'I should have waited till morning…'

The wind had eagerly been awaiting Sasuke's departure, and gladly took the opportunity to grow stronger the moment he exited his camp-site. He shivered against the tempestuous tugging of each gust, the sheer force causing him to step back and lose progress. Still, he pushed on, clinging desperately to any form of support. He'd been motivating himself with various thoughts of taking his anger out on Naruto, carefully thinking out possible ways of relieving his stress by inflicting pain. The ideas soon faded, as a blanket of icy-chill spread over his body, freezing over all thought of revenge and replacing it was a dull sense of doubt. What if he couldn't find Naruto? He paused momentarily, catching his breath.

The torches' weak flame dwindled delicately, ready to disappear within the next bout of hurtling wind. Sasuke had re-lighted it countless times using his specialised jutsu, for just a few moments of light. He was certain he hadn't travelled far from his camp; the wind wouldn't allow it – maybe he could turn back? Shaking his head in stubborn refusal, Sasuke remained in his position leant against a tree, seeking out a rational resolve.

While caught up in his thoughts, the exhausted boy was unaware of the many sets of kaleidoscopic eyes pinned to his slumped figure. They'd been watching for a long while; observing his every move and waiting for the appropriate opportunity to strike. Days of hunger had heightened their viciousness, and they growled in ferocious anticipation, as their dismembered bodies fidgeted impatiently, in wait of their new prey. Droplets of bubbling liquid dribbled rapidly from the corner of each of their mouths, sliding down layers of mahogany-spiked scales.

The creature closest to Sasuke, crept forward cautiously, its webbed feet picking up stray leaves and twigs. Others followed after it, their nostrils flaring competitively as they crawled frantically over one another. Snarls of hostility soon following, as each battled to win the prey.

Suddenly brought to his senses by the bizarre cries, Sasuke stared wide-eyed into the surrounding foliage. It couldn't be Naruto; he did make some rather horrible noises on occasion, but nothing this reptile-like. With his back against the tree, Sasuke sank into a protective crouch, shurikens readily poised. The cries lessened as he glanced around, and the forest returned to its eerie silence once more.

They hadn't left. He was certain of that. Not wanting to risk it, his eyes quickly turned a royal shade of red and the world around him became a little clearer, though he had a hard time focusing due to his exhaustion. There was roughly a small army of them circling his current position; he was trapped, with no other option but combat. Not a problem, he thought; they appeared to be weak creatures. He decided against making the first move, watching their restless forms edge carefully nearer– he'd catch them off guard.

The wind still whistled on aggressively, maliciously snapping, scratching and pulling out any unlucky foliage it happened to encounter. Sasuke stumbled a little against its merciless flurries, attempting to keep the strange creatures within sight. Vaguely, in the distance, he could sense another presence; however he quickly dismissed it as a figment of his imagination, as the lines of snarling creatures advanced.

Within seconds they were upon him, charging together in a single wave, their colourful eyes blazing intensely in rampant fury as the distance between predator and prey shortened. Sasuke dispatched the lead few with ease, reducing their small scaly forms to withering piles of burnt shards. He knew he had the advantage; they were too dumb to attack strategically and instead just threw themselves at him like overly-enthusiastic sacrifices. All the while he was fending off the oncoming attacks, the lurking presence returned, silently gracing the battlefield. Sasuke faltered for a moment, becoming distracted by the ambiguous presence, as one of the more daring creatures locked itself onto the shocked boy's arm in triumph.

He let a small grunt of discomfort, feeling fangs sink greedily into his exposed arm. Excited by its success, the creature deepened its bite and tore at flesh fervently, its vice grip unmoving as Sasuke desperately tried to dislodge it. The other creatures were suddenly spurred on by their target's moment of weakness, and sprang to the opportunity, launching eagerly onto Sasuke's struggling body.

The creature's flesh-feast was short-lived, as it felt itself suddenly detach from the delicious comforts of torn flesh to be melted into a puddle of bubbling froth. Grasping his bloody arm in an attempt to subdue the piercing pain, Sasuke squinted around through flinching eyes. He gasped in horror; their numbers had increased somehow, greatly. Swarms had appeared behind the original few, looking no less hungry. There were too many for him to handle. He'd underestimated their power and numbers by feeling too confident in his abilities regardless of his circumstances. Backing up hard against a swaying pine, he sought out an alternative technique of dealing with his little problem.

* * *

Panic hadn't kicked it yet; however it was most likely on its way along with thoughts of escape and retreated. Sasuke shook his head in disagreement, refusing to let a group of such feeble vermin send him running for the hills. Much to his frustration, the irritatingly distracting presence still remained, gradually growing stronger. Sasuke wondered if the creatures had called yet more reinforcements. He sighed hopelessly at the thought, while attempting to maintain his guarded posture. They were going strike soon, undoubtedly.

An abrupt, thundering crash sounded from behind shocking both Sasuke and the drooling reptilian army in the process. Silence soon followed, interrupted only by the howling cries of the wind. Sasuke stood frozen, motionless, awaiting the arrival of a new threat. He blinked, savouring the calming darkness, unaware of the many figures springing effortlessly through the trees.

"Sasuke-teme – to your left!"

His obsidian eyes flashed open in astonishment, and without thinking he leapt to temporary safety, narrowly avoiding the onslaught of several wild-eyed creatures. He gawped in frozen surprise at the hundreds of blond, spiky-haired demons surrounding him.

"Naruto…" he whispered, his voice edged with cracked weariness. "About time you showed up."

Hundreds of grins were flashed in his direction, all perfectly in sync. The corners of Sasuke's mouth twitched into what may have possibly been a forced smile.

"Mind lending a hand?" He asked, addressing the full group of Narutos.

"You're asking me for help? Hah!" Each of them laughed half-heartedly, occasionally zapping the odd wandering creature. Sasuke frowned, giving Naruto a sidelong look of impatience. He hated the idea of asking the blond idiot for help, let alone begging, but action had to be taken.

"Guess there's a first time for everything." Sasuke replied, wondering how many times Naruto would bring this situation up in the future for his own amusement. 'Just distract some; I'll deal with the rest.'

"Fair enough," the army of Naruto clones replied, hopping down from branches all around "but you owe me one, teme."

Sasuke nodded, secretly grinding his teeth through pain and annoyance. His pride had momentarily disappeared, leaving him begging for any form of help. As ordered, Naruto directed his clones to attack the ranks of reptile-creatures. The mass of orange collided violently with the scaled menaces, resulting in a harmony of screeching yowls and barks.

Satisfied with Naruto's efforts, Sasuke rounded on the nearest swarm, quickly disposing of them with renewed vigour.

"Not bad, Sasuke-teme!" called a Naruto, giving him an approving thumbs-up. Sasuke rolled his eyes, rejecting the compliment and continuing to battle the remaining creatures. It was going to be a long night…

* * *

They'd made incredible progress; the majority of the creatures had been brutally slaughtered, while others hopped around pathetically on their one remaining limb. The first traces of sunrise drifted through the forest, illuminating the outlines of the abused pines in a vibrant lavender glow. The wind had recently died down, retreating finally after a busy night of bullying. A calm breeze replaced its tormenting tempests, carrying the smell of fresh morning dew throughout the seemingly calm air.

Sasuke collapsed after slicing the final creature into several tiny pieces, his aching body demanded rest. The night's battle had left Naruto with few clones for company, and so allowing the final few to poof into nothingness, he sat down beside Sasuke, watching the other boy with distant curiosity.

"Hey…" he began, eyeing up the bloodied arm of his exhausted team-mate. "What happened to your arm?"

"Nothing much – just a bite." Sasuke replied coolly, without opening his eyes. He felt far too light-headed to even acknowledge the questioning blond.

"But there's blood everywhere," Naruto pushed on futilely "want me to bandage it up for you?"

"No." Sasuke budged further away, to emphasize his great dislike of the idea. He'd already asked the idiot for help earlier on and didn't fancy humiliating himself any further. Naruto screwed up his face in aggravation, his cerulean eyes transfixed on the stubborn boy. He opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off immediately. "Forget it, baka. I'll do it myself."

Sasuke urged his heavy eyes open with difficulty, groping around his pockets for the small parcel of bandages he'd packed – or at least he thought he had. Shit. He cursed himself mentally, realising he'd given them to Sakura earlier on.

"Something wrong?" Naruto asked, with amusement evident in his voice. It wasn't often he had the superior position in their little arguments, and he smirked to himself quietly while watching Sasuke's gaze reach his own in defeat.

"I don't suppose you have any bandages?" He glared intensely at the blond boy, hoping to hide any signs of desperation.

"Possibly," Naruto began, reaching inside his satchel still smirking. His superiority was short-lived as he discovered he'd given his away also. "Damn!"

"Useless." Sasuke replied simply, feeling the faint summons of slumber calling for him. He could hardly believe how much the battle had drained him; he'd fought off much worse in the past and now he could barely handle a few little lizards. He sighed, allowing his throbbing body to relax, grateful that Naruto had finally stopped pestering. His arm had lapsed into a state of frozen numbness, contributing to the dull haziness forming in his mind. He just needed to rest.

"Oooof, what are you doing?!"

Naruto grinned in triumph from his position on top of the struggling brunet. He was highly impressed by his own speed and accuracy, as he presented his masterpiece to the growling boy beneath him.

"Whaddya think?"

Sasuke glowered at the foreign weight currently sat on top of him, his body suddenly jerking reluctantly from the warming ecstasy of sleep. Despite his tall, flimsy appearance, Naruto actually weighed a considerable amount, which only cultivated Sasuke's ravenous anger. Enraged, onyx eyes darted to his wounded arm, gawping at what he discovered.

"When did you-"

"Just now." Naruto replied, cutting Sasuke off sharply, burning achievement playing brightly in his eyes. "Ruined a good outfit, too; you'd better be grateful."

Wrapped firmly around his throbbing arm, was a torn orange cloth, quickly absorbing the flowing blood. Sasuke's eyes darted between the make-shift bandages and the smiling face of his team-mate, realisation dawning on him.

"I told you not to touch it!"

"You're welcome!" Naruto chirped in reply to the other boy's roars. "You can buy me a new one once we get back, sound good?"

Sasuke didn't remove his intense glare from Naruto, fury and humiliation suddenly fusing together to create an overflowing sense of madness. He was more than willing to let Naruto become the unwitting victim of his escalating anger explosion, however he held back, changing the subject.

"Once we get back? And how do you plan on doing that?" He snarled, with an incredulous smile twisting around his lips. He was greeted with a blank stare, as Naruto scratched his head in deep thought.

"Well, I thought you might…" the blond began gingerly, sinking suddenly underneath Sasuke's look of disbelieving anticipation. "Erm… you do remember the way back, right? I was too busy chasing after that guy, you see and-"

"Ah yes, that guy." Sasuke snapped in, his mind recounting Naruto's ridiculous story of the mysterious guy and his legendary powers. "Shall we ask if he knows the way back?"

"Well, I'm not sure I can find him again…" Naruto replied, apparently not noticing the sarcasm in Sasuke's voice.

"Oh right, yes. He's not an overly sociable fellow, is he? Just hiding away in the woods like that. You must feel so privileged just to have made contact with him – cos he's never shown himself to anyone else!"

"Look, I didn't purposely get us lost." Naruto was adamant about what he'd seen, and even though it was out of character for him to lie, Sasuke still felt sceptical. He'd been with the other boy the entire time, save for when he left clearing for a few moments, which coincidentally had been when the so-called 'mysterious guy' had made his spectacular appearance.

An awkward silence lingered, as both boys returned one another's stares evenly, neither wanting speak first. Sasuke lacked the energy to express the full extent of his irritation towards a certain blond, and instead just savoured the quiet moment. Naruto on the other hand, was having a difficult time keeping his mouth shut.

"Tell you what; I'll carry on looking while you rest up." He offered to the dozing boy, who immediately shot up, wide-awake.

"No, you're staying here!" Sasuke grasped the other boy's arm firmly, preventing him from getting up.

"Huh?" Naruto allowed himself to be pulled back down to a sitting position, his expression bathed in sheer confusion.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing; since when had Sasuke even wanted him around? He glanced at his team-mate nervously, choosing his next words carefully.

"Eh… why?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sweat broke out over his forehead. What was obvious? Was it obvious that the seemingly anti-social brunet suddenly wanted to spend some quality time with his 'best pal?' Naruto shook his head in denial, casting his gaze once more over Sasuke in question.

"Haven't you noticed?" Sasuke continued, without giving away any answers. His dark eyes bore no emotion; they merely watched Naruto's anxiety heighten at his assumption.

"Noticed what?" His cheeks were now glazed in a warm, rosy glow. The temperature had shot sky-high quite abruptly, and Naruto felt his body burn up like an erupting volcano.

"You and I," Sasuke began, uncertain as to why the blond had turned a deep shade of crimson. "You run off, I follow, we both end up getting lost with assorted injuries. Baka, you're not doing it again."

"Oh!" Relief flooded his tensed body dramatically; he leant back against the tree, clearly relieved. "Of course, hah… and there I was thinking that you actually-" He stopped dead, pushing back slipping words.

"You thought that I what?" Sasuke asked, seeming genuinely curious. He wondered if the blond was about to do another runner, and made a swift grab for the other boy's collar. 'Don't even think about it.'

"Oh no, no… it's not what you're thinking, it's ah… shit." The stammering blond ended with a sigh, deciding that shutting up may be the best option. Was he so easy to read? He kept his eyes trained to the floor, deliberately avoiding Sasuke's penetrating glare.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, as sleep tugged pleadingly at his eyes. "Don't go wandering while I'm out of it." Naruto nodded, smiling slightly as the other boy finally drifted off.

"It's a promise."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: This thing is definitely going somewhere... but I'm not sure as to where...**

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* * *

_**Entry 3**_

_**I get the funny feeling that this isn't a joke**_

_**We're genuinely lost.**_

_**I found it difficult to believe him at first - which is completely understandable given his past record, but… these bizarre occurrences and appearances of strange things seem to add up somehow… **_

_**We've gone without food for several swelteringly warm days now and the first signs of madness are beginning to show; I can barely stand the presence let alone the whinging voice of that idiot. The continuous useless suggestions and the repetitive mourning accompanied with deep, growling stomach roars, along with the incessant waves of irritatingly awkward questions… sigh; I'm reaching the end of my tether. **_

_**I hope we find food or civilisation soon, either will do.**_

* * *

"Hmph, you finally did something useful."

Sasuke stood before a small lake, a mix of gratitude and relief surging through his aching body. He smiled, almost, at the fact his seemingly useless team-mate had finally managed to track down some kind of food source.

"There's fish in there, too!" Naruto quickly chipped in, wanting to milk his moment of praise. He'd only found the lake by mere chance, after one of his clones clumsily lost his footing and half-drowned.

"It just keeps getting better and better," Sasuke began half-heartedly, throwing the blond a sidelong look. "Is there anything else you'd like to share? A way back perhaps?"

"Ah, that-"

"Thought not," Sasuke cut in with a mock tone of disappointment. "It was a nice thought, at least."

Huffing in annoyance, Naruto averted his gaze from the brunet's creeping smug expression to the slow, mesmerizing, ripples of the lake. He squinted as a faint dash of silver shot across the water's surface, closely followed by a swarm of similar rapid dots.

"Want me to catch a few?" Naruto offered, forgetting his last disastrous attempt at catching fish, which had resulted in no dinner. Sasuke fought the urge to laugh, and nodded casually at the eager boy.

"Why not, saves me the job."

"Alright, dinner's coming right up!" Naruto pondered about where to start for a few moments; he didn't have a net or any form of bait. His hesitation caught the interest of the other boy, who quickly went in search of something sharp and pointy.

"Use this if you're stuck for ideas." Sasuke said, tossing a sharpened stick in the blonds' direction. 'It should help out with the whole stabbing part of the job.'

"I know that!" Naruto snapped feeling rather embarrassed by his poor memory. He grabbed his new weapon and advanced on the lake, determined to prove his worth.

Sasuke watched in secrecy as his team-mate quickly stripped to his undergarments, carelessly throwing his mud-covered clothes in no particular direction. Sasuke hadn't intended to watch – he was simply just bored – that was it! He thought, quickly trying to reassure himself that his boredom was the one and only reason for sneaking a glance. He was pleasantly surprised by what he saw; he'd always assumed Naruto would be scrawny from underneath the orange confines of his jumpsuit; however the blond was fairly muscular and well-toned. Sasuke was suddenly drawn out of his admiration by a sudden splash of cold water to the face – Naruto had dived in. The brunet frowned in aggravation, his soaked, dark bangs dripping large droplets onto his clothing.

"It's better if don't jump in like that – tends to scare them off!" He shouted, half-snarling as Naruto burst through the surface, showering him in yet more water.

"Oops. Sorry about that!" Naruto grinned apologetically at the sight of a drenched, grumpy Sasuke as the freezing water refreshed his sweltering body. "You might as well join me, since you're already wet."

"I'm busy." Sasuke replied, hastily settling down in the morning sun, hoping to dry off underneath its warming rays. "Maybe later," he added, imagining himself with the lake all to himself. "Definitely later…"

"Busy with what? This is your dinner too, y'know!" Naruto demanded, flailing his arms in protest. He hated the idea of Sasuke lazing around in the sun while he spent the entire morning making a fool of himself.

"Oh, this, that and the other," Sasuke began attempting to sound genuine. "Very important stuff" he continued with a slight smirk curving his lips. "Besides, didn't you volunteer to catch dinner?"

"Yeah, but you could at least help!" Naruto whined, missing his target for the seventh time in a row; the fish were far too speedy and evasive for an amateur pointy-stick wielding fisherman.

"I wouldn't want to insult your supreme skills" Sasuke scoffed, noting the lack of catches and Naruto's growing irritability. "You're making good progress anyway - we might have a fish before the end of the day."

The blond growled, without saying another word, jabbing at the nearest glint of silver aggressively. He missed of course, losing his balance and toppling over head-first into the watery depths. Feeling the onslaught of another wave, Sasuke rose from his sun-bating and approached the edge of the lake.

"You're doing this on purpose!" He barked, as Naruto surfaced once more, grinning sheepishly. His eyes suddenly connected with the other boy's blazing stare, and he felt the urge to sink once more to disguise his laughter. 'It's not funny!' Sasuke pressed on, acknowledging the amusement spreading across the blonds' shining face. The morning's golden hue picked out each of his distinct features, covering them in a dazzling radiance of purity. Sasuke blinked, forcing himself to ignore the other boy's abrupt moment of attractiveness.

"Go sun-bathe elsewhere, then!" Naruto yelled, with a cunning plan quietly forming in his mind. He'd wipe that smug smile off the brunet's face soon – he was certain of it.

"It's not sun-bathing – it's," Sasuke paused for a second, seeking out an adequate answer "contemplating," he finished, satisfied with his lie.

"Contemplating, eh? Must be something important." Naruto moved closer to the water's edge, discreetly closing the gap between himself and the other boy.

"As I mentioned before – very important, don't disturb."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Well then, continue with your fishing."

"Although, there's something I've been wondering about…"

Sasuke raised his eye-brows questioningly, as Naruto's hand slipped surreptitiously around the unknowing boy's ankle. He let his hold linger, maintaining eye-contact with his target, beginning to count down silently.

"Spit it out!" Sasuke snarled, growing impatient. "If it's about the fact that you're useless at fishing then don't worry; I already noticed!"

Shaking his head, Naruto smirked subtly to himself, while his mind frantically sought out a suitable distraction. "No, it's something far more important." Sasuke's expression softened slightly, as he tilted his head in puzzlement.

'Hnn?'

'We've got pretty close these past few days, haven't we?' Naruto was shocked by the effect of his improvised speech as Sasuke stared wide-eyed, clearly surprised.

"We have?" He spoke with misguided caution, his nerves suddenly tingling in unwitting anticipation – what was Naruto getting at? "How so?" His answer came in the form of a sharp jerk at his heel, and a forceful thrust forward into mind-numbingly, cold waters.

* * *

Naruto broke into strangled laughter, accomplishment washing over him. He could hardly believe he'd manage to pull it off. To catch the highly vigilant Uchiha off guard by simply asking a question was an achievement in itself. His laughter continued for a long while, as he pictured Sasuke's face emerging from below, soaked and pissed-off. 

A good few minutes passed, and after the last few giggles had subsided, Naruto began to wonder why his victim hadn't returned to the surface. Surely Uchihas could swim? Worried, he ducked his head underwater, searching for any blue wavering blobs – though the other boy had vanished it seemed.

"Eh, where'd he go?" Naruto said out loud, surveying the entirety of the lake's surface in intense detail. He was alone, not another sign of life stirred in the empty stillness of his surroundings – it seemed rather eerie in an unnerving sense. Unable to move, Naruto bobbed under the lake's gentle currents, desperately hoping for some kind of contact from the other boy. He got it soon enough; a strong hand latched onto his foot, forcibly pulling him under. The precipitant act came as a breathless shock to the blond, who'd only just managed to hold his breath in time.

From the bubbling below came a familiar face, one full of smug amusement and proud fulfilment. Naruto glowered in annoyance, as Sasuke floated up to eye-level, smirking as always. His vice grip moved discreetly to the blonds' shoulders, locking them both in a kind of half-embrace.

The world began to descend into a spiralling frenzy, as Naruto felt his lungs tighten, savouring every last gasp of air. He turned his panicked stare to Sasuke, urging him to relinquish his possessive hold however, the brunet merely stared, seemingly comfortable in his position.

Has he gone mad? Naruto thought, fighting desperately against Sasuke's crazed grip; the other boy refused to let go. Stricken with uncertainty, Naruto summoned for the greater power within him, becoming imminently enthralled by the intoxicating feeling filling his suffocated body. The rest was distorted, a hazy fog drifted over his vision causing him to struggle against the sudden surge of energy. Steady arms crept around his waist, binding him in an unrelenting clutch.

Losing control, Naruto shuddered as the pulsating chakra dominated his every thought and movement. He choked painfully, as the final bubbles of air were suddenly stolen from his lips by an exhilaratingly strange sensation. Something comforting – something alluring – tempted his perturbed conscience across the line, allowing a new force to entrance his tongue into a dance, a ceaseless chaotic waltz.

All rational thought had left him, he'd lost all control over his body and his mind wandered aimlessly in search of order. He'd forgotten his original intention of rising to the surface, and instead remained entangled in a frenzied motion of rampant passion. Given the chance he may have remained there forever, imprisoned by the sensual motions of the abyss, though the swift crack of air awoke his conscience, rejuvenating his senses.

* * *

Within moments, air had flooded his lungs and he felt himself be thrown over the bank of the lake, spluttering bouts of water through each new breath. A coughing figure collapsed beside him, heaving in pain, crawling towards him. Naruto lifted his stinging eyes to discover a rather distressed Sasuke, who was currently discarding the lake's contents upon the smooth grass. 

Attempting to approach him, Naruto pulled himself to a sitting position, urging his legs to move. They complied after a short delay, and he staggered toward Sasuke's lurched figure in concern.

"Are you… alright?" He coughed, falling to the other boy's side as his legs gave way in protest to moving. Sasuke didn't reply; he merely gawped at the ground in bewilderment. Naruto hesitated before he put a comforting hand on the other boy's back, in fear of angering his disgruntled team-mate.

The brunet reacted to the touch, his lips beginning to form words. "Baka… did I just-" Sasuke stopped, catching his breath, allowing the excess water to escape. "Back there… what happened? I think I might have-"

"I've no idea." Naruto replied, while his mind started to rewind the recently passed events. Much to his annoyance, everything seemed to be obscured or forgotten and he sighed shaking his head in defeat. "I can't remember anything… apart from, well… something indescribable." Remnants of the riveting sensation he'd felt still remained, fragmented yet so unbelievably strong.

Sasuke watched the blond with growing anxiety, analysing his every move. He remembered something. It had been an accident, of course… but he'd still done it.

"Listen, Naruto…" he began, gathering his senses and trying to come clean. Shocked by the fact Sasuke was addressing with his real name rather than 'baka,' Naruto sat forward listening intently.

"Back there, we uhm… we-"

"Now now, what do we have here?"

Both boys jumped, startled by a familiar voice. The sarcastic tone, the lazy drone on the end of each word – it had to be…

* * *

**A/N: Updates next week, depending on how lazy I'm feeling, heh.**


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